Sunday, May 26, 2013

I've never been one who can succumb to "new normals." I don't tap out easily.

How many years has it been since gasoline has risen beyond $2.00? I'm still not okay with it; I still think gas should be under 2.

Advertising makes me want to scream, and I do mean literally. It makes me angry and often on a physical level.

Billboards existed long before internet advertising; and it certainly is a norm for many. Can you remember a time when the horizon was clear of falsified images -- and before you was exactly what should be? Sky and land. I suppose it depends on when you were born.

I am angered by the commercials that play before the pre-views in movie theaters, and most recently, the advertisements that pop up on YouTube screens as well as commercials that appear before you click play on a video. It takes time and causes frustration that prompts a, "Rrrrrr!" out of me.

Visit a website and you will be confronted -- more like assaulted -- with ads that you must click out of or click to minimize. Some sites will show you how clever and intrusive they are by serving floating ads that you have to chase before exiting.

Tonight I was victim to a side panel ad. In the right hand margin, was an ad for feta cheese.

Come again?

Your traditionalist, conservative grandmother tells you that you will attract men if you can cook. If you can make a good pie, you will be surely sought. Right?

I have come to the easy assumption that this ad is geared towards heterosexual women. Food ads are almost always meant for women. Sexist, homobphobic norms, tell us that it is women who do most of the cooking in households, and straight women are always in need of mates. Marketing companies capitalize on these thoughts.

Oppressive advertisement is certainly not a new norm, it is the norm.

According to this ad, the elderly woman with a shaking finger knows best. Cook good food, and you'll never be alone. You won't have to resort to the last resort, that is making a fumbling attempt at love via the internet.

Well, I've never had a woman tell me that I can avoid a life-time membership of the Singles Club, if I can spruce up a good lasagna; nor have I tried internet dating. That being said; I am quickly able to recognize that this ad is slung shot, from the soulless, sexist, and homophobic media. A communicative medium that profits off of the anxieties of some, and drives their message home until you buy their product.

I'm not buying the lies and I'm certainly not buying any of that damn feta.

A gloriously insightful article by Meghan Murphy; featured in the Summer 2012 Herizons Magazine. I have bolded the passages I found especially pertinent.

To learn more about Herizons (I admit; the title of this mag, is ridiculous), to subscribe, or to make single magazine purchases, click here.

Choice Feminismby Meghan MurphyHERIZONS SUMMER 2012 Vol. 26 No.1

HOW OUR RALLYING CRY GOT CO-OPTED (AND WHY WE NEED TO TAKE IT BACK)
Have you noticed that a lot of conversations about female empowerment
today seem to be stuck in a discourse of choice that makes it difficult
to challenge—well, anything at all?

Falling somewhere between victim feminism and the American dream,
choice feminism is the new reigning queen of empowerment discourse. In
contrast to political philosophies that explore the ways in which
structural inequality limits freedom, choice feminism tells us that
every individual is free to choose and that choice is empowering, no
matter what the choice actually is.

The result is that the term choice is now employed in feminist
debates about everything from the sex industry to marriage and makeup.
Choice feminism dictates that any time a woman makes a choice it is an
act of feminism.

Because a woman chooses to work in a strip club, for example, the
factors that could affect her choice to do this work—which may include
class, colonialism, education, abuse or the reality of living in a
culture that objectifies women’s bodies—are neatly erased. No one is
forcing her to be there, choice feminism says. If men will pay, why not
take the cash?

The decision made by Slutwalk DC organizers to hold a fundraiser for
an event last year in a strip club invoked this notion of choice
feminism. Many feminists balked at the idea of using a strip club for a
seemingly oppositional cause. However, the organizers responded in a
statement on their Tumblr page stating, “This is a non-judgmental
movement that embraces all choices a woman wishes to make.” Really?
Since when is nonjudgmental the descriptor of a movement based on
achieving collective freedom from oppression and exploitation? What if
the choices being made perpetuate patriarchal ideas?

Part of the problem is that all of the well-intentioned talk about
female empowerment in the third wave has left many of us fearful of
falling into the much-criticized realm of “victim feminism.” Maybe, for
some, the empowerment message of choice is simply a reflection of a
sense of entitlement to all the world has to offer.
Perhaps, too, liberal feminism, commonly seen as being focused on
individualism and on reform rather than on structural change, is as far
as some are willing to go. Perhaps some think it is the best they can
hope for.

Whatever its origins, choice feminism has co-opted feminist language
in a way that takes the political out of the personal. It’s all about
whatever makes you feel good—right now!

We need to reclaim the word choice. After all, it is one of the
founding philosophical underpinnings of the modern feminist movement and
the slogan in the fight for reproductive rights. Choice is the
embodiment of the political demand for abortion. Historically, it was a
liberating concept that represented women’s freedom and autonomy—not
only in terms of their reproductive decisions, but also in more public
aspects of life and society. Having the right to choose an abortion
allows many women to feel they have a measure of control over their
bodies and their lives.

This particular use of choice rhetoric was not without problems,
however, since more privileged women always had greater access to
reproductive choices compared to more marginalized women. Today, though,
choice is no longer a rallying cry for change. Instead, choice has
become a gag used to stifle debate.

Denise Thompson wrote about the problem of individualism as a foundation for feminist action in her book Radical Feminism Today.
She argues that “if domination is desired, it cannot be challenged and
opposed.” So, for example, if sex worker is framed as an individual
choice, the system of prostitution can be dissociated from the idea of
systematic or gendered oppression. If prostitution is only a personal
life choice, it need not have anything to do with patriarchy. It becomes
a private issue rather than a public one. And yet, as we all know,
private choices don’t provide the basis for a movement. Viewing
prostitution as a personal choice frames it as an empowerment exercise
and, in so doing, erases the context of male domination and female
exploitation in which it typically occurs.

The rise of choice feminism could either be interpreted as a
significant weakness of the movement or simply as the effect of
postmodernism on feminist theory and women’s studies, an aspect of
feminist thought that is often criticized for being too vague and
offering little in terms of action. Either way, choice feminism is not
furthering debate, but stifling it.

Choice is far more complex than adherents of choice feminism make it
out to be. For example, while our freedom to make choices enhances our
ability to feel personally empowered, many of the choices we make do not
help anyone but ourselves. One woman’s pole-dancing class might be
another’s sole method of obtaining an income.

Heaping this decontextualized notion of choice upon the often very
limited decisions made by women who are disadvantaged erases the
structural inequities that feminism would normally set out to change. As
feminists, we need to remember that, in this world, one person’s
freedom often comes at the expense of another’s. This includes the
West’s exploitation of developing countries as well as issues of class
and privilege right here at home. The birth control pill, later hailed
as a huge leap towards women’s liberation, was tested on
under-priviledged women in Puerto Rico before it was allowed to be sold
on the North American market. White middle-class women’s choices have
always taken priority over the choices of more marginalized women.

And yet, who am I to tell another woman that she isn’t empowered or
that she isn’t really making her choices freely? As one of the founders
of Slutwalk Toronto, who appeared in a debate to defend her reclamation
of the word slut in 2010 said: “For me to call myself whatever language I
want if I find it empowering, for somebody else to say that that’s not a
right choice, when this is my choice, I find that problematic.”

If we consider the objections that have been heard by some women of
colour—such as a statement by Black Women’s Blueprint that read, “We do
not have the privilege or the space to call ourselves ‘slut’ without
validating the already historically entrenched ideology and recurring
messages about what and who the Black woman is”—the idea of reclaiming
the word slut under the guise of choice may not be so radical after all.

For me, it comes down to whether one person’s choice to play with
objectification may actually have an impact on other women. Feminism
isn’t simply doing whatever we want, whenever we want, without
considering how our actions impact others.

If choice is going to continue to be a valuable part of feminist
discourse and a foundation for activism, we need to start thinking of it
in collective, rather than individualistic, terms.

Individual autonomy and empowerment has been eagerly taken on by
mainstream media as an all-too easy way to sell products. Choose to buy
whatever you like—it’s empowering! Whether it’s a new vacuum cleaner or
Virginia Slims cigarettes, it’s all a choice and, by extension, all
feminist.

Sexist media has also caught on to this trend. This kind of language
is used to justify the objectification of women’s bodies. Look at the
way choice is presented in the show Girls Gone Wild, which has
been discussed at length by American feminists Ariel Levy and Karen C.
Pitcher. The messages of these videos are that a) this is fun, b)
everyone is participating through their own free will and c) this kind
of behaviour is inevitable.

One Girls Gone Wild participant is quoted in Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture saying, “It’s not like we’re creating this.... This
is happening whether we’re here or not. Our founder was just smart
enough to capitalize on it.” The message here is that if we make a
decision to objectify ourselves, then we can’t be exploited because we
made that choice.

We can make sexism fun if we choose it. In fact, we can make sexism disappear if we choose it.
Beyond simply choosing objectification, women are told that if they
are compensated, sexism can be all the more empowering. Capitalism,
partnered with media and neo-liberalism, tells us that all we need to do
is to get paid in order for something to become a feminist act. Famous
burlesque dancer Dita von Teese asked, “How can it be disempowering when
I’m up there for seven minutes and I’ve just made $20,000? I feel
pretty powerful.”

Not only does von Teese ignore the fact that most women who are paid
to take their clothes off do not earn that amount of money, but there is
also the fact that receiving payment does not negate objectification.Undeniably, choice is fundamental to feminism. But that does not mean
that every choice we make is a feminist one.

Choice, and the feminist
context within which the slogan was born, has been de-politicized. Hey,
we’re so free and empowered that we don’t even need the feminist
movement anymore! See how dangerously easy it is to manipulate this
rhetoric into something that actually limits choice for women?

I want real choices. I want to change the system within which those
choices are made, not just use the language of choice to benefit or to
comfort me. I want liberation from the forces that lead women into strip
clubs, stilettos and Girls Gone Wild. I want collective
empowerment, not temporary empowerment for only a few. I don’t want fake
choices designed by the very mechanisms that oppressed women in the
first place.

Meghan Murphy is a freelance writer, a host and producer of The F Word radio show, and the editor of www. feminisms.org. She has a master’s degree in women’s studies and lives in Vancouver.

"Ian
Mackaye barely needs an introduction. There might be a young soul out
there who has no inkling of what an Ian Mackaye might be , or
experienced any of the music he has released into this world. So I will
share a few thoughts regarding him." --Ed Templeton (Visit Paradigm
Magazine for the Entire Introduction)

Rear
Window is a visual project developed for Paradigm Magazine, which is a
21st century documentary style play on Alfred Hitchcock's famous 1954
film, starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly, without the suspense and
murder. 10 years ago, there was a Skateboard video magazine called
411VM. In each video issue there was a segment called, 'Day in the
Life,' basically, a 24 hour portal into how famous skaters spent their
days. With Paradigm, we wanted to take that one step further, not only
showing what a day in life is like with individuals we feature in
Paradigm Magazine, but adapt our interview style to those days. Paradigm
Magazine will continue to conduct our written interviews, but expect
many more segments of 'Rear Window' every month.

Women
are their own worst beauty critics. Only 4% of women around the world
consider themselves beautiful. At Dove, we are committed to creating a
world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. So, we
decided to conduct a compelling social experiment that explores how
women view their own beauty in contrast to what others see.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Description:Excerpts (no sound) from amateur color footage in the Prelinger
Archives, taken at the 1939 New York World's Fair, showing firstly the
Savoy Ballroom exhibit, and secondly jitterbugs dancing to Glenn Gray
and his orchestra.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

The amazing Jackzon Katz, always floors me. Katz, is one of my favorite feminist speakers. A man who speaks humbly and fairly.

Violence & Silence: Jackson Katz, Ph.D, at TEDxFIDI Women - 2013

Description:

Published on Feb 11, 2013

Jackson Katz, Phd, is an anti-sexist
activist and expert on violence, media and masculinities. An author,
filmmaker, educator and social theorist, Katz has worked in gender
violence prevention work with diverse groups of men and boys in sports
culture and the military, and has pioneered work in critical media
literacy.Katz is the creator and co-founder of the Mentors in Violence
Prevention (MVP) program, which advocates the 'bystander approach' to
sexual and domestic violence prevention. You've also seen him in the
award winning documentary "MissRepresentation."

In
the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local,
self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like
experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to
spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local,
self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently
organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for
the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.*
(*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

I don't know why it took me this many a moon for me to make this purchase. I was aware of this box set when it dropped in 1997. Pet Sounds is arguably one of if not the, best Beach Boys album.

Product Description:A unique retrospective-produced by Brian Wilson himself-that
redefines and deconstructs a musical work of art like never before! Here
is the first-ever true stereo mix of the album; the symphonic
instrumental backing tracks without vocals; the choral-like vocals
without instrumental tracks; more than a dozen alternate versions of
tracks from the Pet Sounds sessions; a remastered version of the
original mono album; a 42-page color booklet with rare photos from the
session and ANOTHER 120-page booklet with interviews of the Beach Boys,
Paul McCartney and George Martin. God Only Knows; Wouldn't It Be Nice;
Caroline No songs so great it's worth hearing them five different ways!

CD One:Stereo Mix1. Wouldn't It Be Nice2. You Still Believe In Me3. That's Not Me4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)5. I'm Waiting For The Day6. Let's Go Away For A While7. Sloop John B8. God Only Knows9. I Know There's An Answer10. Here Today11. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times12. Pet Sounds13. Caroline NoSessions14. Sloop John B (2)15. Sloop John B (3)16. Trombone Dixie17. Trombone Dixie (2)18. Pet Sounds (2)19. Pet Sounds (3)20. Let's Go Away For Awhile21. Let's Go Away For Awhile (2)22. Wouln't It Be Nice (2)23. Wouldn't It Be Nice (3)24. Wouldn't It Be Nice (4)25. You Still Believe In Me (2)26. You Still Believe In Me (3)27. You Still Believe In Me (4)28. You Still Believe In Me (5)

CD Two:Sessions1. Caroline No (2)2. Caroline No (3)3. Hang On To Your Ego 4. Hang On To Your Ego (2)5. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (2)6. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) (3)7. Don't Talk (Put Your Head In My Shoulder) (4)8. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (2)9. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (3)10. That's Not Me (2)11. That's Not Me (3)12. Good Vibrations13. Good Vibrations (2)14. I'm Waiting For The Day (2)15. I'm Waiting For The Day (3)16. God Only Knows (2)17. God Only Knows (3)18. Here Today (2)19. Here Today (3)

CD Three:Stack-O-Vocals1. Wouldn't It Be Nice 2. You Still Believe In Me3. Thats Not Me 4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)5. I'm Waiting For The Day6. Sloop John B 7. God Only Knows 8. Hang On To Your Ego 9. Here Today10. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times11. Caroline NoAlternate Versions12. Caroline No - Promo Spot13. Wouldn't It Be Nice 14. You Still Believe In Me15. Don't Talk... - Vocal Snippet16. I'm Waiting For The Day - Mike Sings Lead17. Sloop John B - Carl Sings First Verse18. God Only Knows - Sax Solo19. Hang On To Your Ego 20. Here Today 21. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times 22. Banana And Louie23. Caroline No - Original Speed, Stereo Mix24. Dog Barking Session25. Caroline No - Promo Spot #226. God Only Knows - With Acapella Tag27. Wouldn't It Be Nice 28. Sloop John B - Brian Sings Lead Throughout29. God Only Knows - Brian Sings Lead30. Caroline No - Original Speed, Mono Mix

CD Four:Original Mono Mix1. Wouldn't It Be Nice2. You Still Believe In Me 3. That's Not Me4. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) 5. I'm Waiting For The Day 6. Let's Go Away For Awhile 7. Sloop John B8. God Only Knows 9. I Know There's An Answer 10. Here Today 11. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times12. Pet Sounds13. Caroline No

Pet Sounds made its first appearance in 1966. Younger generations from their hometown of Hawthorne, CA, and South Bay locals, like myself, find thrill in the fact that such greatness comes from lands we know.

You must take your time with this cornucopia. The wonder of the Beach Boy's darling, is broken down into as story that makes sense.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Have we passed the point in time
when virginity was important? In older times, feminine virginity was
valued as more of a commodity in trading. The notion objectified women,
and actually created a sexist and misogynistic climate in which women
equated virginity to their value. So, how does placing high value on
virginity measure up today? Is there no reason for the emphasis to exist
any more? And can the blame for the overvalue of virginity not only be
placed on "commodity" value, but also for men who fear any sort of
"competition?"

And what does "virginity value" mean in today's
culture? Does it create "slut shaming?" While seemingly innocent and
rooted in tradition, honor, etc., does weighting virginity with so much
social interest and attention help set a tone for a culture to disparage
and degrade female sexuality? Not to mention that women also get
criticized for being prudes?

Is there ANY way women can win this predicament as it stands?

These questions and more in this installment of The Point!Host: Ana KasparianPanel:Desi Doyen (Co-host -Green News Report)Hugo Schwyzer (Writer, History and Gender Studies Professor, Pasadena City College)Dave Rubin (Host -Rubin Report)

Ha! I'd say most of this is true. I imagine each dancer has their own definition of "true."

Sh*t Lindy Hoppers Say - 2/6/2012

Disclaimer from the Youtuber punkassjim:[DISCLAIMER] This is satire, folks. I don't know anyone who's slept with
all the leads at a dance, I think your triple-steps are faboo, and my
Aris Allens are holding up quite nicely, thank you very much. Filmed, in part, at The 920 Special in San Francisco

Sunday, May 5, 2013

I'm glad to see that this necklace is still available on Etsy. I saw this about a year ago and intended to purchase it then. At the time I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend so much money on such a seemingly simple necklace. My overpowering love of the almighty beet, has won.

Description From the Website:A new version of my silver and concrete beet necklace! This one has been
cast in sterling silver from my original sculpted beet and inlaid with
tinted concrete.

It measures a touch over 1" tall and 1/2" at
it's widest point (26mm x 13mm) The finish is lightly polished and it
comes on a 16" sterling drawn cable chain. If you'd prefer 18" just note
it at checkout and I'll change it, no extra charge. Please note that
each piece is made entirely by hand and may vary slightly from the
photo. This design is currently made to order and will ship 3-5 days
after ordering.

This comes in a recycled gift box tied with a raffia ribbon, ready for giving.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

The first track from the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album is the one that shocks the most. No doubt fans are speaking of the bands "departure" from their traditional style, but I think this is a bold and daring move, that works. As long as they haven't completely ditched their roots, I'll be fine. Ultimately it's not up to me or you.

This video was posted on a social media site and I was awakened. The woman is hilarious, but also sincere. Truthful if you will. After watching this, I sought out other videos. The woman is on fire. I don't know if she intends to be such a riot; I don't know if she's aware of her humor, but I think that is one of her draws. I could do without the "bitch" and "ho" epithets, but that aside, she's gold. On a side note; this 26 year old woman impresses me, as she works two jobs.

I was painfully surprised when I experienced an adrenaline sourced, pounding ache, when Adam Yauch died. It feels as thought he died moons ago, when in fact, it has only been one. Adam Nathaniel Yauch aka MCA, was an American rapper, musician, film director, and human rights activist. Yauch passed at age 47 on May 4th 2012, after a three year battle with salivary gland cancer.

How strange it is that we mourn for people for the gifts they gave us. A selfish grief that I feel slightly guilty for; but ultimately any death we mourn derives from some brand of selfishness. We miss those who made us feel a certain way.

It is painful to listen to the music he made with the other two Beasties. His gruff voice added a tone of flashy wisdom to the group. Death often feels unfair, and Yauch's passing is no exception.

Yesterday, May 3rd, the Brooklyn Heights' Palmetto Playground was renamed the Adam Yaugh Playground. The ceremony took place on the day before the one year anniversary of MCA's death: which as of last year, is also known MCA Day. The celebration was created by Beastie fan, Mike Kearney. As a gal from San Pedro, CA, it was impossible for me to head out to Brooklyn for the event; but truth be told, I'm not sure if I could stomach it -- regardless, I am glad that the day exists. Visitthe MCA Day website, here.

Adam Horovitz aka Adrock Speaks at Ceremony -- May 3rd, 2013Below is the full text of Adam Horovitz's remarks:"Seeing Marty Markowitz rap – it was great, but not as great as
Adam's parents rapping at Adam and Dechen's wedding. If you were at the
wedding, you know that was pretty great.

"I want to
thank first the fine people for everything today, everybody from the
Parks Department, Adrian Benepe, John Silva, Frances Yauch, Steve
Martin; but most of all I want to thank my sister Rachel. She really
made this happen, and now she's gonna make me cry.

"It's
fitting that we're here today to dedicate a playground to Adam Yauch
because like the Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys is for the children. I was
trying to think of what to say today, and I was thinking what it means
to be a New York kid: People come to New York to be themselves, to
express themselves and to be who they want to be. And although Adam's
mom Frances is a New York kid herself, his father Noel came to New York
to be himself. And together they raised a New York kid, Adam Yauch, and
Noel and Frances raised him right. They taught Adam to be curious,
thoughtful, kind and just enough crazy – that craziness that is New
York. That New York frenetic energy: It's musical, artful and always
moving forward. And that's not only Brooklyn, that's Adam Yauch. And
Adam and his wife Dechen raised a daughter Losel, a New York kid that's
equally talented, curious and utterly awesome.

"In life you don't really get to chose your family, your siblings
– you get what you're given. I got lucky cause I got two great sisters
and two great brothers, but I got extra lucky because around 1982, I got
the chance to choose two other brothers: Mike Diamond and Adam Yauch.
And together our families have grown. I'd like to thank the New York
Parks Department and the people of Brooklyn for honoring my friend and
brother, and recognizing how cool it is to have an Adam Yauch park for
other crazy New York kids."Adam Yauch's Mother, Frances Yauch, Speaks - May 3rd, 2013

I'm not much of a Missy Elliott fan, but I came across the video and had an "Oh yeah, I remember", moment. The album Supa Dupa came out in 1997. I had to look it up as I had no idea. Minus the pot talk, and the stereotypical dancing girls, I'm reliving and loving this song. She can't stand the rain, and I love it, so there's an issue there too.

What makes me lap this up; is the creativity in this video. Elliott, doesn't hide her size, but embraces it. But as I said above, she does add in some half naked dancing girls. There could be a gaggle of reasons for this. Perhaps she felt she did need need to make up for her size, or perhaps she felt it wouldn't be a rap video without dancing girls.

Elliott has plenty of guest stars in this video, some whom I actually recognize. After some digging, I found that the best part of this song is a sample from Ann Peebles' 1974 single "I Can't Stand the Rain." I found some photos of a young Peebles and saw that she actually resembles Elliott. I found my next purchase: the Anne Peebles album by the same name of her famous single.

About Me

I believe story telling is an art form and blogging is a medium in which to share stories and ideas. Within this blog I hope to cover a spectrum of topics. From the serious to the silly. Here you will read my views and inquiries about subjects such as feminism, other various socio-political issues, psychology, spirituality, sexuality, and general interests such as film, art and music. You will also be exposed to my obsession with cupcakes, tea, books, Hello Kitty, and quirky day to day journeys. I enjoy learning from others as I am constantly attempting to introspect, grow and evolve. During this process I will be jotting down musings on this blog. Pull up a comfy chair and a spot of tea and join me!